Parsnip

Midcentury dining in Harvard Square

Housed in a landmark building overlooking Winthrop Park in Harvard Square, Parsnip’s goal is to offer an unparalleled level of sophistication in its first-floor dining area, and a playful, Rat Pack atmosphere in its second-floor lounge. Analogue Studio’s inspiration for the restaurant came from the owner’s personal collection of midcentury modern furniture, which highlights the beauty of rich materials captured in casual form. To create pieces that would be practical for a restaurant, we collaborated with a skilled furniture maker to build custom wait stations and a host stand. For the upstairs lounge, we built a large, boomerang-shaped bar — also evocative of midcentury aesthetics. Just as important, Analogue Studio worked closely with Parsnip’s chef to solve for a kitchen that is split between the attic and a small area on the dining level. We mapped out all of the kitchen’s service flows, and optimized the position of every shelf, tool, and piece of equipment so that the staff could succeed within its inherited constraints. The outcome is a dining experience that has been heralded by The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, Zagat, and more.

Cambridge MA

photography: Wayne E. Chinnock

• Architecture + Interiors
• Industrial Design

• Restaurant